Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol 28, Issue 1 2010

Abraham's Trees *
Dr Shaul Bar

Abstract

Tree worship was a well known phenomenon in

the Ancient World. In the Hebrew Bible we read
that Abraham lived next to trees and also planted a
tree, while Jacob buried Deborah under a tree.
Thus we will investigate if the Patriarch Abraham
was engaged in religious rites at these trees. The
end result will show that Abraham lived next to
trees for safety reasons; trees were used as shade,
fuel for cooking, or food for the flock. It was later
Biblical reading and later traditions which
associated Abraham with sacred trees. Therefore,
not surprisingly the Aramaic translators avoided
translating the word "tree."

1. Introduction
In the stories about the Patriarch Abraham, the Book of Genesis
mentions trees such as the terebinth of Moreh(l2:6); and the
terebinth of Mamre(13:18;14:13;18:1). In addition, we read that
Abraham planted a Tamarisk tree at Beer-Sheba and invoked the
name of the Lord (21:33). In the ancient world, the phenomena of
sacred trees associated with sacred places were well known. In fact,
sacred trees are frequent in Mesopotamian iconography. The trees
symbolized fertility and were associated with the fertility gods.
According to Robertson Smith, prayers were addressed to them for

*In memory of JeffParchman, a God-fearing man.

2
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
healing sickness, and for fertile seasons. Branches and leaves were
used as medicine and for other ritual purpose. Many believed that
oracles were received from the trees that the trees spoke with a voice
and sometimes the voice of the tree was a wind in the branches
which requires a soothsayer to interpret it. 1 Later we read that
fertility cults were attractive to many Israelites, thus they built altars
under trees and worshiped other gods. The book of Deuteronomy and
other biblical texts condemn the places of worship "on the hills,
under every verdant tree'(Deut l2:2;1Kgs 14:23; 2Kgs 16:4; 17:10;
Jer 2:20; Ezek 6:13; Hos 4:13). Thus, it's no surprise that the official
religion of Israel forbade the planting of the trees next to the altar
(Deut 16:21). This paper will explore the subject of trees in the
Abrahamic cycle . We will find out if they have any religious
meaning and why they are mentioned in Genesis.

2. A. Terebinth of Moreh

Abraham, upon his arrival to the Promised Land, stopped at the

terebinth of Moreh ;,?ii'j 1i715 (Gen 12:6). In most commentaries the
word 1i715 is translated as terebinth. However, Zohary says that many
translators and exegetes misunderstood the names ;,715 elah, 1i715 elan,
715 el, ;,?~ a fah and 1ily15 allan. According to him allan and elan
should be rendered oak, Tabor oak (Quercus ithaburensis) or the
evergreen oak (Quercus calliprinos), while elah and alah should be
terebinth. 2 This is noted already by the Ramban in his commentary
on Gen 14:6 where he cites Isa 6:13 1ilyl5~1 ;,715~ and he translated it as
a terebinth and as an oak where the reference is to various trees.
Indeed, the Lxx translates our verse as 'the high oak' (ri]v opDv -rJ1v
V\j/YJATJV). While, Targum Onekols, Targum Neofiti 1 and Ps.-J
renders for 1i715 "plain". Likewise, Jerome rendered canvallis in our
verse and also in Gen 13:18;14:13;18:1, or by vallis Deut 11:30.
According to Aberbach and Grossfeld the translation "plain of

1
W. Robertson Smith, Lectures on the Religion of the Semites (London:
Adam and Charles Black, 1907),p. 195.
2
M. Zohary, Plants of the Bible (Cambridge: University Press, 1982), pp.
108-11.

3
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
Moreh," came to remove Abraham from any association with centers
of tree worship. 3 Augustine Pagolu pointed out that the Hebrew word
elan appears four times in Genesis, in two instances altars were
associated with this tree (12:7;13:18). According to him: "the form
elan seems to have had religious associations in all its occurrences in
Genesis and Judges. 4" However, we should stress that the Patriarch
Abraham lived next to trees. The building of altars in Genesis came
to commemorate God's appearance and the trees have no religious
significance as we shall see below.

Since the Hebrew word mareh means teacher, modem scholars

speculate that it might be a reference to an 'oracle giver'. 5
Accordingly, the tree served as a place where oracles could be
obtained and, therefore, a survival of primitive tree worship 6 . Gunkel
for example rendered "oracle terebinth". According to him, the voice
of the tree is perceived in the rustling of its branches and interpreted
by the oracle or priest. 7 He points to the giant oak at Dodona, where
its priest and priestess interpreted the noise of the leaves and the
sounds of the spring that flowed out of its water. 8 In the Homeric
epic we read about Odysseus who goes to Dodona "to hear the will
of Zeus from the high crested oak of the god". Because of their size,
strength and longevity, many honored and revered these trees and
attributed to them certain sanctity. 9 On the other hand, Sama believes

3
Moses Aberbach and Bemard Grossfeld, Targum Onke/os to Genesis
(New York: Ktav,l982), p.79.
4
Augustine Pagolu, The Religion ofthe Patriarchs (JSOTSup 277;Sheffield
Academic Press: England, 1998),p.58
5
Claus Westermann, Genesis 12-36, trans. John J.Scullion S.J. (Augsburg:
Minneapolis, 1985),pp.l53-154; Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1-15, (WBC
l;Word Books: Waco, Texas,l987),p. 279; E.A. Speiser, Genesis,
(AB1;Doubleday: Garden City, New York, 1964),p.87.
6
John Skinner, Genesis, (ICC; New York: Charles Scribner's sons, 1910),
p. 246.
7
Herman Gunkel, Genesis, trans. Mark E. Biddle (Mercer University Press:
Macon, Georgia, 1997),p.l66.
x Ovid, Metam 7.614-630.
9
Ben Sirach for example in his praise to wisdom says: "Like a terebinth I
spread out my branches and my branches are glorious and graceful." 24:16.

4
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
that a tree of great antiquity was looked upon as a "tree of life" or as
being cosmic. The stump of the tree symbolized the "navel of the
earth" and its top representing heaven. The tree served as a bridge
between the human and divine spheres and became an area of divine
-human encounter. 10

Whereas, modem scholars speculated that the word moreh is related

to an oracle, it appears that the Aramaic targumists interpreted moreh
differently. The primary function of this interpretation was to remove
any association of Abraham with tree worshipping. Therefore,
Targum Neofiti I translates "the Plain of the Vision;" thus, the place
named Moreh was understood by the targumists as connected with
mrph, "vision," or "rph," to see. 11 Meanwhile Ps.-J translated moreh
as 'plain that had been pointed out,' Evidently basing translation is
based on the verb ;,,,;, 'to point, give direction.'

Alternatively, medieval commentators such as Ibn Ezra, Radak and

Ramban gave moreh a different interpretation. According to them,
Moreh is the name of a person who owned the plain. While, Rashi
interprets here: "until the plain of Moreh-That is Shechem. He
showed him Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, where Israel accepted
the oath of Torah." It appears that Rashi relates 1i715 homeiletically
with :171$ oath and :1ji~ with Torah.

B. Plains of Moreh
In Sotah 32a the Mishnah comments that the plain of Moreh (Gen
12:6) is identical with the plains ofMoreh (;,?·~ '~i715) in Deut 11:30
which appear in the plural form. The place was in the vicinity of
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal near the city of Shechem. The
mountains mentioned here are connected with the blessings on
Mount Gerizim and curses on Mount Ebal. As in his translation in
Genesis, Tagum Onekols and Jerome translated N,ltl'~ plain, for 117N.
Ps-Jon has "on the side of the vision of Mamre," and Neofiti" the

10
Nahum M. Sama, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis (The Jewish
Publication Society: Philadelphia, 1989),p.91.
11
F. Stummer, "Convallis Mambre und verwandets," JPOS 12( 1932):6-12.

5
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol 28, Issue 1 2010
Plains of the Vision". Interestingly Ps-Jon translated here instead of
Moreh Mamre. We must remember that Mamre belongs to the
Hebronite tradition and not the Shechemite tradition (Gen 13:18).
The plural elone which appears in our verse is usually combined with
Mamre (13:18; 14:13; 18:1). Cassuto suggested that the avoidance of
translating the word as tree came to prevent the reader from
connecting the narrative with the Samaritan belief in the holiness of a
certain local tree. 12 Similarly, the Sifre uses the term "plain" and not
the specific terebinth. This might reflect the Sifre's interpretation that
all references to this place are to the city of Shechem. 13

Tigay, claims that the place elone Moreh was named for Canaanite
diviners who once gave oracles at the trees. According to him,
"Moreh" probably means "oracle giver". 14 Driver says that Moreh is
not a proper name but an appellative. The verb ;,-,,;, indicates
"direction" given by priests who gave answers to those who came to
consult the oracle. 15 Weinfeld points to the fact that the author of
Deuteronomy prohibits the planting of sacred trees at the temple
(16:21 ); therefore, he intentionally changed "the oak" into "oaks" to
indicate that it was not a sacred tree but: "a grove or a small wood
serving some aesthetic or practical purpose (for shade or the like)." 16
Interestingly, The Samaritan text and the LXX have the singular oak
here.

C. Land mark and sheltered places

It is more likely however, that :1":li~ li7l5 elon Moreh served as land
mark since the Bible tells us that: "Abraham passed through the land

12
U. Cassuto, A Commentary on The Book of Genesis, trans. Israel
Abraham (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1964),p. 326.
13
Reuven Hammer, Sifre A Tannaitic Commentary on the Book of
Deuteronomy (Yale University Press: New Haven, 1986),pp.ll3-112.
14
Jeffery H.Tigay, The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy (The Jewish
Publication Society: Philedelphia, 1996),p.117.
15
S. R. Driver, Deuteronomy (ICC; Edinburgh: T&T. Clark, 1951), p.l34.
16
Moshe Weinfeld, Deuteronomy 1-11 (AB 5; Doubleday: New York,
1991), p.453.

6
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol 28, Issue 1 201 0
as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. "( Gen 12 :6).
By mentioning the tree the Bible gives us the precise location of
Abraham's dwelling. Indeed in verse 8 we read "From there he
moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with
Bethel on the west and Ai on the east." Moreover, there isn't any hint
that Abraham was engaged in tree worship. The only religious act
that the Bible describes in our text is the building of an altar.
However, we must stress that this act followed the theophany.
Abraham built the altar in gratitude for the promise of the land. As
Sarna pointed out the patriarchs do not take part in existing cults;
they always built new altars and used them. 17 Similarly Augustine
Pagolu says that Abraham's building an altar: "suggests that there
had been no altar beforehand, which in turn suggests that there also
been no shrine there. 18"

Scholars who point to tree worshiping base it on ancient tradition

that existed among the other nations and to the etymology of the
word Moreh. However, Moreh can be interpreted in different ways as
we see with the Targumim. It is noteworthy to point to Gen 22:2
which speaks of the Land of Moriah as the site of Isaac's binding.
Thus, can we say that people addressed the mountain in the land of
Moriah for an oracle?

In the Book of Genesis the patriarchs are depicted as nomads who

dwelled in tents and were constantly on the move, traveling for fresh
pasture. Throughout their travels, they wandered to sites in the
central mountain region and the Negev. Due to the climate, they
traveled to the northern part of the Negev in the winter and spring
and to the central mountain area in the summer and autumn. 19 From a
geographical point of view, it appears that the patriarchs limited their
migration to the area between Dotan and Beer Sheba, and thus
avoided the northern part of the country, the coastal plain, and the
Jordan River. Those parts of the land they avoided were extensively

17
Nahum M. Sama, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, p.92.
18
Augustine Pagolu, The Religion of the Patriarchs, p. 58.
19
S.Yevin, "Beer-Sheba the Patriarchal City," Zion 20 (1953):
120(Hebrew).

7
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue l 2010
populated with fortified urban centers. 20 We must remember that the
patriarchs were heads of small nomadic groups that had to avoid
military confrontations. On the other hand, the central mountain area
and the Negev were less populated and, consequently, without a
dominant power. 21 A closer observation of the path of their migration
reveals some relevant information. The patriarchs stayed close to the
cities, but they did not enter the cities or live in them unless
compelled by danger of famine. 22 The patriarchs stayed close to
urban centers where they could barter for the domestic necessities
they required.

M.B. Rowton pointed out already that in the 2nd millennium B.C that
the hapiru bands were very active in areas with considerable
woodland, rocky land and roving nomadic tribes. According to him it
was because it was very difficult to control effectively this kind of
land with the military equipment available in antiquity. 23 It is not the
purpose of this article to answer the long scholarly dispute: Are the
hapiru and Hebrew related? However, we can see that Abraham
follows a similar path. Abraham also lived in rocky areas of the
central mountain which had considerable woodland and was less
populated. We must remember that there was much more woodland
in the second millennium B.C.E than there is today. The rocky area

20
S. M. Paul and W. G. Dever, eds., Biblical Archaeology (New York:
Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co., 1973), p. 8.
21
G. E. Wright, Biblical Archaeology (Philadelphia: Westminster Press,
1957), p. 47; S.
S. Yeivin, "Studies in the Patriarchal Period," Beth Mikra 16 (1963): 19
(Hebrew).
22
M. Haran, "Descriptive Outline of the Religion of the Patriarchs," in Oz
Le David,
eds. Y. Kaufman et al. (Jerusalem: Kiryat-sefer, 1964 ),p.50 (Hebrew); Paul
and Dever,
eds.,Biblical Archaeology, p.8.
23
M. B. Rowton, "The Topological Factor in the Habiru Problem," in
Studies in Honor of"Benno Landsberger on his Seventy-Fifth Birthday, ed.
H. G. Giiterbock and T. Jacobsen, (Assyriological Studies 16;Chicago:
University of Chicago, 1965),pp. 375-387.

8
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
with its woodland provided good cover. Thus it is also possible that
Abraham lived next to trees because of safety reasons.

3. A. Terebinths of Mamre
In addition to the terebinth of Moreh, we read in the Book of Genesis
about Terebinths ofMamre. In two passages NJ?t~ ,~ ..,~ elone Mamre
appears as a name for Abraham's dwelling place (Genl3:18; 18:1);
which was located at Hebron (13: 18). While the third passage Gen
14:13 makes reference to NJ?t~ ,~ ..,~with the personal name "Mamre
the Amorite , brother of Eshcol and Aner. The LXX translated all
three of these verses as 'oak of Mamre' ('ti"lv 8puv n1v Ma!lPPfJ )
where the oak is named Mamre, in the singular form. Also, in the
Peshita it was translated in a singular form N01'::J blwth and in Arabic
..1::.~ is an oak. The singular oak appears also in the Testament of
24

Abraham as the dwelling place of Abraham ( 1:2). While, Ramban in

his commentary on Gen 14:6 says that the correct translation ofNJ?t~
,~ ..,~should be 'the oaks ofMamre' in the plural.

The Targuim on the other hand did not translate the word tree. Thus,
in Targum Pseudo- Jonathan we find N1~~ ,,Tn::J "in the vision of
Mamre," a place you can see from afar as a plain place. Nf has "the
plain of the Vision". Oneklos, translates all three verses as "plain of
Mamre". In Midrash Rabbah 42 we find two views, one ofR. Judah
who translates plain of Mamre, while R. Nehemiah translates "palace
ofMamre". The translation of 'plain' may be based on the similarity
to the Greek word auA.W\1 which means plain. Ginsberg speculated
that in Hebrew existed a word 1i'~ and in Ugaritic 1-,N which means
plain. According to him, the word was known to the Jews of
Palestine; however, it doesn't appear in the Bible with this
meaning. 25

24
See also Gen. 35:8 were the Hebrew 11'?N render in NF as blwth; cf. Gen.
R. 15,1.
25
H. L. Ginsberg, "Ba'lu and his Brethren," JPOS 16(1936):142.

9
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
As to modem scholars it was de Vaux who claimed that a syncretistic
cult was practiced there, therefore, the place is not mentioned in the
Bible outside of the Book of Genesis. Whenever the place is
mentioned it seems to be deliberately obscured. According to him,
the plural in the MT, "the Oaks ofMamre," represents an attempt "to
water down the superstitious veneration of a particular tree." Thus
the singular version is the older reading. 26 However, as we shall see
below, it appears that it was translated "oak," in the singular form,
because in the later period people would point at a certain oak as
Abraham's oak. It was Augustine Pagolu who pointed out correctly
that the growth of legends around Mamre does not prove that the
place was sacred during the patriarchal period. In addition he says
there is no archeological evidence of occupation at Mamre in the first
half of the second millennium. 27

B. Mamre the Amorite

We already mentioned that in Gen 14: 13 Mamre appears as a
personal name, Mamre the Amorite. Lipinski suggested to read 14:13
"he (i.e., Abraham) was dwelling at the Amorite sanctuary of
Mamre;" thus Mamre can be a divine name or epithet "the (fatted)
calf'- mamrec being a toponymic form , *ma-mric, derived from S.
Canaanite J:li:ric "fatted calf." 28 Arbeitman, on the other hand, says
that the name mamre is a Hebrew representation of the Hittite mu-
mar, meaning friendship, peaceful relations, alliance". 29 He also
points to the associations ofHittites within the Hebron area (Gen 23).
The Hittite miu-mar is semantically identical to Hebron "place of
ally confederate". His conclusion is that the author of Genesis 14

26
Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, trans. John Mchugh (Darton, Longman
&Todd: London, 1961), p. 292.
27
Augustine Pagolu, The Religion olthe Patriarchs, p.60.
28
Lipinski , E. "CAnaq-Kiryat cArbac-Hebron et ses sanctuaries tribaux VT
24(1974):41-55.
29
Yoel. L. Arbeitman, "Mamre," ABD 4(1992):492.

10
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol 28, Issue 1 2010
later personified the name but the original tradition was "(Abraham)
was dwelling at the Amorite sanctuary of Alliance". 30

The name Marnre is a non- Semitic name and does not appear
outside of Genesis. In Gen 14:13, 24, we read that Marnre was
Abraham's ally. Rashi says that Marnre was the name of the owner.
Similarly, Westerman says Marnre is the name of a person in Gen
14:13,24. 31 However, according to the Ramban, whenever the Torah
mentions Marnre alone, not with the plain of Marnre, as in 23: 19 and
35:27, it is another name of a city (Hebron). Indeed Eusebius in the
Onomasticon says that Mambre is Chebron where Abraham's tomb
is. 32 Similarly, Jerome says that Mambre is Chebron, beside which
Abraham was buried with Isaac and Jacob. As Eusebius, he says it
was called Mambre for one ofthe friends of Abraham. 33 Most likely,
Marnre was the name of an important family and the name was given
to the city or to one of its quarters.

C. Mamre in History
From testimonies of historians, we read that the place was
considered a holy place through the centuries. The Jewish historian
Josephus mentioned a very ancient tree north west of Hebron that
was famous in the Second Temple times. 34 He calls this tree
"Ogyges," who was the mythical king of Athens said to have
survived the flood that destroyed the human race. Hence, Josephus
mentioned Ogyges in order to emphasize the antiquity of Abraham.
Indeed, in another statement, he said that about three-fourths of a
mile from the city of Hebron stood a huge terebinth tree since the
creation of the world. The author of ltinerarium Burdigalense 333

30
Ibid, p.493.
31
Claus Westermann, Genesis 12-36, p. 181.
32
The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea, trans. G.S.P. Freeman-
Grenville (Carta: Jerusalem, 2003), p. 70.
33
Ibid.
34
Wars4.533;Ant 1.186

11
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
A.D mentions the tree under which Abraham sat and dug his well,
spoke with the angels and ate food with them. 35

It was under this famous tree that the sale of Jewish slaves took
place. There Hadrian sold the captives of the Bar Kokhba War into
slavery. In the Talmud and Midrash, the site of Marnre is mentioned
as Butnah(Butnan), a site of the trade fair for slavery. 36 It was
forbidden to take part in this fair and it was considered idolatry. It
was Constantine who ordered the destruction of the pagan temple
next to the oak tree and instead a beautiful basilica was built. During
the Crusades period, many pilgrims visited the tree and it was
customary to hold the Feast of the Trinity connecting it to the feast
that Abraham had with the three angels. According to the Chronicles
of Jerahmeel the wood of the tree was used for medicinal purposes
because it was believed that the usage of it prevented any illness. 37

The paganic cult which was developed through the ages at elone
Mamre was the main reason why the Aramaic translators avoided
translating the word tree. This was done in order to remove any
association of Abraham with the paganic cult. The "Oak of
Abraham" was venerated and many popular legends were ascribed to
it. Many legends grew as a result of the association of Biblical
Historical figures with different trees. With the passing of time the
trees were thought to be sacred. Since people pointed to a certain oak
as the oak of Abraham, the translators followed a similar path and
translated it in the singular form, Oak of Mamre, and not in the plural
as it should be.

D. Land mark for dwelling and Shade

Reading Gen 13:18;14:13;18:1 shows that Mamre was Abraham's
dwelling place. Therefore, we read in the Hebrew Bible: "and came

35
Itinerary ji·om Bordeaux to Jerusalem, trans. Aubrey Stewart (London:
Ade1phi, 1887), p. 27.
36
TJ. AV. Zar. 1:4 38d; Gen. R. 47:10.
37
The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, trans. M. Gaster (Ktav: New York, 1971 ),
p.78.

12
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
to dwell (:ltf~1) at the terebinths of Mamre"(l3: 18); "The Lord
appeared to him by the terebibths of Mamre ; he was sitting(:::ll!(') at
the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot."(l8:1); while in 14:13
"who was dwelling (ptv) at the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite". In
the first two verses, the Hebrew Bible uses the root ::J.lll' which means
to sit, remain, or dwell. In 14:13 the Hebrew Bible uses the word 1;;llll
which means to camp or to sit in a place. One of the derivatives of
the root is 1;;llf , which means neighbor; thus, the narrative comes to
tell us that Abraham was dwelling in the neighborhood of Mamre the
Amorite, the brother of Eshkol and Aner. From the three occurrences
of Mamre in the Book of Genesis only 13: 18 refers to Mamre as a
place of worship, but this is after God appeared to Abraham. Here we
read that Abraham built an altar to God. As we mentioned before,
this was the pattern in the book of Genesis, following the theophany
we find the building of an altar to commemorate the event.

According to 18: 1 the Oak of Mamre gave shade to Abraham. In a

later legend we read that the Oak of Mamre gives shade to the
righteous but withdraws its cover from the unrighteous. 38 Travelers
were resting at midday in shade of the tree, as we read about the
angels who came to visit Abraham (Gen 18:4, 8); similarly we read
about the man of God who was sitting under the terebinth (I Kgs
13:14). As we know, the oak is among the best shade trees in the
land of Israel. It stands as tall as high as 20-25 feet, with a thick
trunk and heavy branches. As we pointed out before, the book of
Deuteronomy and other biblical texts condemn the places of worship
"on the hills, under every verdant tree' (Deut 12:2;1Kgs 14:23; 2Kgs
16:4; 17:10; Jer 2:20; Ezek 6:13; Hos 4:13). 39 However, careful
reading of these verses reveals that there isn't any tree worshiping in
those texts. What the Bible tells us is that the Israelites worshiped
other Gods on mountains and under trees. The reason for choosing
trees as the site of a sanctuary was because of the cool shade offered
by a densely leafed tree. Indeed in Hos 4:13 we read: "They sacrifice

38
Zohar 1.1 02b.
39
According to Winton Thomas 1Jl7, fl7 7::> nnn the reference is to a luxuriant
tree thick with leaves. See: D. Winton Thomas, " Some Observations on the
Hebrew Word l~~J," VTS 16(1967):387-397.

13
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
on the mountaintops, and offer on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and
terebinths, whose shade is so pleasant." The trees that are mentioned
in our verse are not fruit bearing trees, they were chosen because
their shade is good; thus they were deemed to be a proper setting for
the worship of idols. According to Wolff "the shade of the trees is
praised because it increases the pleasure of the sacrificial meals." 40
He also added that the trees' shadows served the other activities
namely the sex rites. Keel claims that 'the shadow' of trees favored
sexuality, eroticism and fecundity. According to him the trees in
Canaan: "signaled an intense presence of mother earth blessings, to
have sex under a tree meant to participate in her blessing and
fecundity. 41 " He sees the verse from Hos 4:12-13 as the oldest
example of polemic against tree cult. 42

4. Tamarisk

A. The different interpretations of Eshel

In Gen 21:33, we read that Abraham planted eshel (7tql5) at Beer-

sheba and invoked the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. The

tamarisk is called athl "l

eshel ?tq15 is also mentioned in I Sam 22:6; 31:13. In Arabic the
which corresponds to the biblical eshel;
thus it is probably one of the Tamarisk trees, namely Tamarisk
aphylla or to another species of the genus. The LXX translated that
Abraham planted a field (apoupav), the Greek word represented an
area of agricultural land as 100 square cubits. 43 This translation
came to remove suspicion that Abraham had planted an item
associated with pagan worship. Symmachus translated a
"plantation," Aquila a thicket. While in Ps-J and Neofiti 1, and Frg.

40
Hans Waiter Wolff, Hosea, trans. by Gary Stansell (Fortress Press:
Philadelphia, 1974), p. 86.
41
Othmar Keel, Goddesses and Trees. New Moon and Yahweh, (JSOTSup
261 ;Sheffield Academic Press: England, 1998), p.54
42
Ibid.
43
Herodotus 11.14; Philo, De Plant.75; Robert Hayward, "Abraham as
Proselytizer at Beer-Sheba m the Targums of the Pentateuch," JJS
49( 1998):25-26.

14
 Shau1 Bar, Abraham, IBS Vo128, Issue 1 2010
Tg. on Gen 21:33, we read that Abraham planted an orchard or
garden. Ps-J added to the text 'and in it he prepared food and drink
for those who went and came.' While Targum Neofiti I says: 'and
within it gave food to the passerby.' This edition of the text was
motivated by the understanding of the Hebrew word 7tq~.
Accordingly, it became acrostic of the words ;,7,::lN eating ; ;,,mv
drinking; and ;,,,, escorting and came to portray Abraham as a model
of hospitality.

A different interpretation to the word 7tq~ is found in Gen. Rab. 54:6

: "R. Judah said, Eshel means orchard, the word meaning "ask"
(she'al) for whatever you wish, figs, grapes or pomegranates. R.
Nehemiheah said: Eshel means "an inn," the word connoting, ask
whatever you desire, meat, wine, or eggs. 44 Allison pointed out that
instead of the people asking for the fruits of Abraham's orchard or
for meals prepared at Abraham's inn, it would be easier to associate
the asking with the tree itself. Therefore, a contributor or Testament
of Abraham associated Abraham 7lllN with 7Nlll thus Abraham planted
a tree that responds to questions, i.e. an oracle. 45 To bolster his study
he points to Ezek 21 :26 where 7Nlll is used in consulting an oracle
and in Hos 4:12 consulting a tree or wood. However a question
should be raised can someone plant a holy tree?

B. The Testament of Abraham

Like the legends that were developed around elone Mamre, we also
find an interesting testimony in the Testament of Abraham about the
eshel. In spite of its title "testament" this book exhibits only a few
traits of testimony genre, and it is more related to the apocalyptic
dramas. It is believed by scholars that the book was composed
between 2nd century B.C.E up to 6111 century C.E. In chapter 1 we
read that God sent Michael to prepare Abraham for his upcoming
death. The archangel appeared in the field as human to Abraham and
was invited to Abraham's house (ch.2). On the way home, Abraham

44
See also Sotah 1Oa.
45
Dale C. Allison, Jr. The Testament of Abraham (Walter de Gruyter,
Berlin, 2003), pp.l11-112.

15
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
understands the language of the tree. According to the Long
Recension, it was a cypress tree, while the Short Recension mentions
a tamarisk. Abraham hears the tamarisk tree with its three hundred
and thirty one branches (the Hebrew ?l1lN by Gematria is 331) singing
a song about some misfortune (3:3). Tears fall from his eyes as he
was washing the feet of the archangel. Michael also weeps, his tears
turning to pearls, which Abraham catches hiding them under his
cloak.

Trees don't speak in the Hebrew Bible. We find trees that speak in
the form of a fable. Thus, in Judg 9:8-15, we read Jotham's poetic
speech about the trees that looked for a tree to rule over them. The
crown was offered to different trees and each tree apart of the last
one refused. In 2Kgs 14:9 we read that Jehoash of Israel sent back
this message to the King Amaziah of Judah: "The thistle in Lebanon
sent this message to the cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my
son in marriage.' But a wild beast in Lebanon went by and trampled
down the thistle." In addition, we have several verses in a poetic
form where the meadows and trees are praising God (Ps 65: 14;
96:12; 148:9; Isa 35:1-2;44:23;55:12; 1Chron 16:33). A similar
description is also found in the Talmud Hag 14b in the story about R.
Johanan b. Zakkai. Legends were developed about the trees of Eden
as being able to speak. Thus in the treatise Aboth d. R.Nathan we
read that when the serpent tried to touch the Tree of Knowledge to
prove that God's prohibition was unnecessary, the Tree spoke and
said: 'Villain, don't touch me' and in addition, quoted a verse from
Ps 36:12 "Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand
of the wicked shake me". 46 Legend is also found in Targum Sheni on
Esther, where we read about several trees that spoke and gave their
reason why Haman should not be hanged upon them. 47 The story in
some aspect is very similar to the Jotham's fable.

46
The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan, translation and commentary by
Anthony J.Saldarini, S.J. (Leiden: E. J. Brill,1975),chapter 1,p.33
47
The Two Targums of Esther, translated, with Apparatus and Note by
Bemard Grossfeld (Liturgical Press: Collegeville Minnesota, 1991), chap
7,pp.181-183.

16
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
C. Place of Judgment and Burial

Tamarisk is also mentioned in lSam 22:6 where we read: "Saul was

then in Gibeah, sitting under tamarisk tree on the height."(22:6). In
contrast to Genesis where Targum Jonathan translates eshel for
"orchard," it here translates eshel as tamarisk. The LXX is consistent
and here translates eshel as a field (apoupav). A similar description
to our verse is also found inlSam 14:2, where we read: "Now Saul
was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah, under the pomegranate tree of
Migron." In Jud 4:5 we read that the prophetess Deborah, who was
judging Israel, would sit under the 'palm of Deborah' as the people
oflsrael came up unto her judgment. The verb yasabh (sit) is used in
the Bible in the sense of presiding as Judge (1Kgs 21:8; Isa 28:6; Ps
9:7). It is unlikely that the author describes the prophetess as having
her house or tent beneath a holy tree as some scholars speculated. 48
This description of sitting and judging people was prevalent during
the period of the Judges and early monarchial period. Later however,
we read that the kings were sitting in their palaces on the throne of
Justice (lKgs 7:7-8). King Saul, like the prophetess Deborah, was
sitting under a tree to judge the people of Israel. Indeed, in Gen R.
54:6 which we mentioned earlier we read: R. 'Azariah said in the
name of R. Judah: Eshel means a court of law, as in the verse, Now
Saul was visiting in Gibeah under the eshel in Ramah.

In 1Sam 31: 11-13 we read about the burial of King Saul and his
sons. According to the story, the people of Jabesh-gilead removed
the bodies of Saul and his sons and then burned them, burying the
bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. As in I Sam 22:6 Targum
Jonathan translates here tamarisk for eshel, while the LXX, field
(apoupav ). Interestingly, in the parallel text of 1Chron 10: 11-12,
there is no mention of the burning of the bodies. Here we read that
they buried the bones, but this time it was under an oak tree.
According to McCarter terebinth is a "far more frequently mentioned

48
C. F. Bumey, The Book ofJudges (Ktav: New York, 1970),p.86

17
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
tree and therefore less likely have been original to the account." 49
Burial under a tree is also mention in Gen 35:8. Deborah, Rebekah's
nurse died and was buried under the oak below Bethel and it was
named Allon-bacuth, which is interpreted to mean "the oak of
weeping". Gunkel pointed to fairy tales and legends in which the
soul of the dead dwells in such trees. 50

According to Keel: "since the dead are said to return to the womb
whence they came (Job 1.21; Sir 40.1; Ps 90.3,5 cf. Gen l.ll-12;Ps
139.15), the trees, at least in these two passages, are related to the
mother earth. 51 " However, it is more likely that Deborah, Rachel's
nurse and King Saul and his sons were buried under a tree because
trees served as a memorial to the dead. Genesis 35 that records the
death of Deborah recounts also the death of Rachel. Interestingly, we
read that Jacob set up a pillar, a stone memorial marker over her
grave (v.20). In contrast, there is no pillar over Deborah's grave.
Instead, her memory was kept alive by the oak of weeping, which her
grave was beneath. The bones of Saul and his sons were buried first
under the tamarisk which served as memorial to them. Later,
however, we read that King David took the bones of Saul and his son
Jonathan and gave them an honorable burial. King David reburied
them in the family grave (2 Sam 21: 14). Even today there is a custom
in the state of Israel in which trees are planted for preserving the
memory of the dead. There is also a possibility that the trees helped
people to identify the burial site. Indeed, in the story of the purchase
of the cave of Machpelah by Abraham, for a burial site for his wife
Sarah, we read that he purchased the cave and all the trees around the
field (Gen 23: 17). Specifications of trees in land sale were common
in ancient contracts at all periods. Indeed, the Babylonian bill of sale
listed trees along property. 52 From the second temple period we read
that a person who purchases a field with trees in it, had a claim for

49
P. Kyle McCarter, I Samuel (AB 8; Doubleday: Garden City, New York,
1980), p. 442.
50
Hermann Gunkel, Genesis, p.368.
51
Othmar Keel, Goddesses and Trees, New Moon and Yahweh, p.49.
52
Eberhard Schrader, Keilinschrifiliche bibliothek (Berlin: Reuther &
Rei chard, 1889-1915),iv.l 01,161,165.

18
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue 1 2010
the ground around it. 53 Thus it is possible that burial under trees
served as a land mark for the burial and claim of ownership.

D. Planting a Tree.
Genesis 21:33 is the only place where Abraham plants a tree. We are
not told why Abraham planted the tree. According to Gunkel,
Abraham is a cult founder, but we should ask 'can one plant a holy
tree'? 54 According to Benno Jacob the reason for the planting of the
tree was that "The tree shall be a permanent memorial of the
event." 55 When Abraham planted the tree he saw it as a marker for
the place where he called on his God. Tree planting is similar to altar
building and marked the foundation of the great shrine of Beersheba.
However, there is no evidence for any pervious sanctity of the place.
The Patriarch does not use any cultic objects. According to Radak,
Abraham planted the tree next to the well as a testimony that the well
belonged to him, it was a public demonstration of his undisputed
ownership of the well. We have to remember that trees were often
used to mark the boundary between fields belonging to different
owners. By planting the tree Abraham was claiming the territory, for
which he had made an agreement with Abimelech as rightfully his.

The eshel that Abraham planted was probably Tamarix aphylla

which is found in the Negev and not Tamarix pentadra which is
common to the Sinai desert. It is a tall tree that requires very little
water and suitable to the sandy soil of the northern Negev desert
area. It is noted for its cool shade and ability to withstand heat and
dry spells. In addition, it was used as a fuel for cooking. The Bedouin
planted this tree because of its soft branches, which the flocks eat.
Thus it is possible that Abraham in addition to his demonstration of
ownership planted the tree for shade, for fuel, and food for the
flocks. It is interesting to note that Abraham's first stop in the
Promise land was by a tree (Gen12:6). In 13:18 He built an altar by

53
Baba Bathra 82b; M ish. Baba Bathra 5:4.
54
Hermann Gunkel, Genesis, p. 233.
55
B. Jacob, The First Book of The Bible: Genesis, trans. Emest I. Jacob and
Waiter Jacob (Ktav: New York, 1974), p.l4l.

19
 Shaul Bar, Abraham, IBS Vol28, Issue l 2010
the tree of Mamre. He lived near trees (14:13), and in 18:1 he
entertained Yahweh under the trees. Finally here he plants a tree.

5. Conclusions
The terebinth of Moreh, terebinths of Mamre, and Tamarisk were
land marks which marked the place of habitat of the Patriarch
Abraham. In ancient times trees were often used to mark the
boundary between fields belonging to different owners. The rocky
area with its woodland also provided good cover. Thus Abraham
lived in area which had a considerable amount of trees for safety
reasons. In addition, trees also had some other practical usage such
as shade, fuel for cooking, or food for the flock. People were also
buried under trees which served as a memorial to the dead as a land
mark and as a sign of ownership. With the passing of time, and
because of the association with important biblical figures, the places
became sacred. Review of the Book of Genesis shows that there is no
trace of the patriarchs' engaging in any religious rites at these trees.
It is only in later periods that we read about the Israelites who
worshiped Yahweh 'on high mountains, on hills under any spreading
tree (Deut 12:2; lKgs 14:23; Jer 2:20). It was this late Bible reading
and later traditions which associated Abraham and sacred trees.
Thus, not surprisingly the Aramaic translators avoided translating the
word "tree." Instead they give it a different meaning in order to avoid
any association of Abraham with paganism.

Dr Shaul Bar

20